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Larksfield Place Joins Andover Elementary School to Create Horse Stampede Art

A recent collaboration with Larksfield Place and Andover Elementary School students resulted in a colorful, creative project that is a sight to see. Larksfield invited residents, staff, families and students to paint and decorate a small cardboard cutout horse to create a Horse Stampede. During the month of May, about 200 horses were made and are now on display at the Andover School District Office. In June, the herd will make its way to Larksfield and be on display this summer.

While working on the project, we came across a poem by Hannah Kahn, the mother of Larksfield resident, Mel Kahn, called “Ride a Wild Horse”. The poem’s imagery inspires us to make the most of our lives. The horse described in the poem is colorful and so resident Julie Tretbar painted it – purple wings, striped yellow and black. This horse soars above the rest of the herd. Read the full poem below.

This project is inspired by and based on artist Ann Wood’s horses. She made one horse a day for 100 days to encourage creativity and ended up with a stampede. See more on her website at https://www.annwoodhandmade.com/cardboard-stampede/

RIDE A WILD HORSE

by Hannah Kahn

Ride a wild horse
with purple wings
Striped yellow and black
except his head
which must be red.

Ride a wild horse
against the sky –
hold tight to his wings

before you die
whatever else
you leave undone
once
ride a wild horse
into the sun.